Accessibility

Print Print a copy

Why accessibility is important

It is important to us that our information is accessible to everyone.

We are committed to providing information and services in a non-discriminatory and accessible way. This is a requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

We also aim to meet the Australian Government’s web accessibility requirements. This includes meeting the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 level AA.

Find out more about our accessibility features below:

We want all Australians, including those with a disability, or with technical limitations, to be able to access the information on our websites.

This website is designed for access on desktops, tablets and mobile devices.

You should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen, and
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard.

Browsers and devices

Our website uses responsive web design. This means it automatically adjusts to different devices and screens sizes, such as desktops, tablets and mobiles. The website should work on all current versions of common browsers.

Design

Our website has been designed to be highly accessible and includes features such as high contrast colours, and larger font and headings. Where relevant, images have been included to support written content.

Content and navigation

The content on our website has been designed so that it is easy to read and is available in different accessible formats, including video and image.

There are different ways to navigate content and find information based on your communication needs or service type.

For example, you can navigate content through the main navigation menu, the navigation menus in the ‘areas of law’, via the home page, via footer navigation or through the search function.

Search

You can search for content on our website, by using the search function at the top right-hand corner of the website.

Videos

We use videos to provide information in an alternative format, and where possible, these are translated into Auslan and various community languages.

In most cases, videos are published on YouTube and are embedded into our website for easy access. If you are having issues accessing video content, please contact us via our enquiry form for assistance.

HTML, PDF and other document formats

Where possible, we have provided content in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) format to make it as accessible as possible. HTML is the standard markup language for creating web pages.

Our website may also contain documents that are not available in HTML format.

To help users to download, print and share web content, some documents are also available in Portable Document Format (PDF) and/or Microsoft Word (docx). For each downloadable document, the document link shows the file type and size.

 

If you are trying to open a file in one of these formats, but do not have a suitable application on your device to do so, you may be able to use free applications such as the following:

  • Apache OpenOffice: this is a free office application suite capable of opening many common office document formats.
  • Microsoft: a number of Office Online File Converters and Viewers allow you to open new Microsoft Office file formats on older versions of Office, even if you don't have Office installed.

NOTE: The Australian Government does not endorse or offer warranties as to the suitability or safety of any of the above-listed products. Before downloading or installing these applications, you should check that the software suits your needs and is malware-free.

If you are having difficulty accessing content in a particular format, please contact us via our Enquiry hub for assistance.

Zoom

Most browsers allow you to zoom in and out of a web page, allowing you to magnify elements on the page, such as text. Zoom options are generally accessible via the browser menu, or via the keyboard by holding down CTRL + together (to zoom in) or CTRL – together (to zoom out).

We provide information that is accessible for people with vision impairment this is an accessible website, designed to be usable by people with particular needs.

Text to Speech (TTS) options for various browsers/devices

If you require an audio readable version of a page or document on this site, there are many available text-to-speech (TTS) technologies to convert webpage text to audio from modern browsers and free extensions.

Read Aloud browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge

Read Aloud is for people who prefer to listen to content instead of reading, people with dyslexia or other learning disabilities, and children learning to read.

You can download the free browser extension at https://readaloud.app/

To listen to any piece of text, select and right-click it, then choose Read Aloud selected text.

Adjust the reading speed, volume, and pitch from the Settings icon.

NOTE: The Australian Government does not endorse or offer warranties as to the suitability or safety of any of the above-listed products. As with any software installation, care should always be taken to verify that the software being installed is appropriate for your needs and malware-free.

Android devices text-speech output

  • Open your device Settings.
  • Select Accessibility. Text-to-speech output.
  • Choose your preferred engine, language, speech rate, and pitch. The default text-to-speech engine choices vary by device.

Safari for IOS

  • Click settings icon in iOS.
  • Click the Accessibility icon on the settings page.
  • Click on Spoken Content on the Accessibility page.

Toggle on Speak Screen and scroll down the page to pick a choice in Voices, as well as a speaking rate.

If you are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication difficulty please contact us by:

Step 1
Contact us through your preferred NRS call channels detailed on the National Relay Service website.

Step 2
Provide the NRS with the courts phone number - 1300 352 000.

For more information about the National Relay Service see: About the National Relay Service (NRS) 

Organisations and/or Businesses do not need to be registered to use the NRS; only users are required to register which enables them to use any of the NRS call channels.

If you know anyone who could benefit using the NRS; they can register via the NRS App or by registering on the NRS website or by texting the NRS Helpdesk 0416 001 350 for assistance.

We can help you access court information in other community languages. Please contact us via our Feedback form for assistance.

You can also contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) for support with talking to the Courts in your community language.

We provide information in other a range of community languages which can be found on the translated resources page.

Translated materials on this website are for reference only (download) and are not available to order in hard copy.

We simplify some information for translation which means that sometimes the English version and translated version may not match exactly. If there is a difference between the translated material and the original English text, please refer to the English version.

Information available in other languages

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National)

People who have difficulty speaking or understanding English can contact us through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National), for the cost of a local call:

  1. Call TIS National on 131 450
  2. Tell the operator the language you speak
  3. Ask the interpreter to set up a three-way call between you, an interpreter and the Court on 1300 352 000.

You may need to wait on the line for the interpreter, or the operator may need to call you back when an interpreter is available.

When you are speaking with the interpreter, they will call us for you and interpret your conversation.

You can also visit National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) for more translation and interpretation services.

The Courts provide many facilities to aid physical accessibility including accessible bathrooms, parents’ rooms, wheelchair access, lifts and hearing loops. Check the Court location page of your local registry for more information.

Please contact us if anything on this website is inaccessible to you or you experience problems accessing this website's content (including if you are having difficulty accessing a file or document).

If you are experiencing any accessibility issues with our website, or if you have any suggestions for how we might improve it, please contact us:

We aim to respond to your feedback within three business days. We will be able to respond faster if you can:

  • summarise your issue in a few words at step 3 of the enquiry form
  • provide the webpage link or describe the location of the particular web page or document in question.
Related information:
Disability support services
Court support
flag
flag

The Courts acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders, past, present and emerging.